Since the pandemic began a few months ago, the daily lives
of many went through drastic changes. With the threat of the virus
itself as well as the closure of offices, public places, and shops,
citizens are pushed to resume their activities from the confines of
their own homes. Much the same happened in the academic world. Students
and teachers must learn to utilize technology and implement it into the
learning process. While teaching was previously done in classrooms, now
it happens through the web.
One party that continually pushes the boundaries of online
learning in the midst of the pandemic is Sekolah.mu, who has also
collaborated with the Jakarta Provincial Government in facilitating
Jakarta citizens during this difficult time. What is Sekolah.mu? In this
discussion from JSC Talks, we are introduced to the Sekolah.mu app and
all the unique ways they provide in helping both students and teachers
to continue learning even though they are divided by distance. Moderator
Nur Laily Romadhotul Husna is accompanied by this week’s guest speaker,
Najeela Shihab, a teacher with a passion for education as well as the
founder of Sekolah.mu.
Before beginning her presentation, Ms. Najeela played a
video of testimonies from teachers, students, and parents who have all
participated in the learning process of Sekolah.mu.
“If we were to take anything from this COVID-19 situation,
communication between child and parent, or parent and teacher, becomes
more intense. So the concern finally increases,” said one of the
teachers interviewed in the video.
From this introductory video, we can already see the
stories of students and teachers who have both been by Sekolah.mu’s
educational methods. The eagerness to learn, and to collaborate between
teachers and between schools are still holding fast even in the face of a
pandemic. Sekolah.mu not only facilitates a platform for one-to-one
collaboration as in between teachers, but also many-to-many as in
different schools could work together and share access to content,
facilitators, or specific subject modules. Presently, Sekolah.mu has
become the collaboration platform for over 700 schools in Jakarta, and
its user base spans over 4000 schools.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first reared its head, Ms.
Najeela along with the Sekolah.mu team tried to identify the medium-term
and long-term risks that will be presented by the situation to the
educational system. They tried to create a solution that would prevent
teachers from becoming burdened by the new method and students from
becoming passive from staying at home for a long time. By collaborating
with various parties such as the Jakarta Educational Department, Jakarta
Smart City, and many educational communities, Sekolah.mu could turn
into an effective and productive platform for teachers and students
alike.
According to Ms. Najeela, technology could only become a solution for
education if it is used in good practice to help the teachers support
the students in reaching competency. Nurturing future competence in
students is a highly upheld value by Sekolah.mu, so that students could
not only compete on a local level but on a global level as well.
Although at the moment students and teachers could only interact through
the screen, students are still pushed to be innovative, independent,
reflective, communicative, creative, and cooperative.
The teaching methods available in Sekolah.mu are quite
varied. Teachers could upload lessons and worksheets onto the site which
can be accessed by the students. They could also schedule live lessons
that will be streamed through Sekolah.mu’s YouTube channel.
Beyond science and mathematics, many other subjects are available
through Sekolah.mu such as physical education, religion, and even
counseling for parents who now more than ever need to be more present in
their children’s daily education. There are also programs provided by
businesses and industries such as Wahana Kreator who opened a class for
young, budding scenario writers that could be attended freely. Or
Nutrifood who created an internship program for students interested in
jumping into the working world.
As Ms. Najeela said, the pandemic is full of risks.
However, as proven by Sekolah.mu, this could also be a chance to improve
and innovate the education system. Even though we are facing a pandemic
and are confined to our own homes, it does not mean that no steps
forward can be made for students, teachers, and all Jakarta citizens. If
you are a prospective student, teacher, parent, or represent a school
that is interested in participating in Sekolah.mu, you can visit their
website to learn more. The Sekolah.mu app is also accessible via JAKI
which can be downloaded from App Store and Play Store.
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